Coll 30/9 'Persian Gulf: Administration Reports 1926-1938' [‎283v] (571/1028)

(h) Poverty and Economy Measures .—World depression, the continued la lr
of relief from Bin Sand’s blockade, and the last three years failure of die i
trade have at Iasi had their effect on Kuwait. During the year 1932 there w^ 1
marked increase in the number of pearl bankruptcies. Suffering and acute vr t
among the lower classes of the town was a new and pathetic feature and shol^H
itself in the form of gangs of beggars, who began to roam the Town. ’ 1 ^
The situation was aggravated by the sudden arrival in August of som
2,000 starving Persian refugees, driven across to the Arab Coast from their own
country by hunger and the callousness of their own officials. These persons fill4
the streets and by-ways, imploring all and sundry to assist them.
This influx was again followed by an invasion of poor Persian fishermen who
began to interfere with the fishing rights and nets of the local Kuwait fraternity
Matters came to such a pass that the Ruler, on the urgent representations of hr
people who complained that they had enough poor of their own to support was
constrained to order all Persians without visible means of support to be r^
patriated to their own country. This was done at the end of August and the
refugees were conveyed in dhows free of charge to Gusbah on the left "bank of t!r
Shaft al Arab.
The Persian fishermen were also ordered to leave the bay of Kuwait and for
bidden to enter the 3-mile limit along the Kuwait sea-board.
On the 15th August the Ruler decided on a general reduction of officials’
salaries by approximately 20 per cent., thus following the example of Bahrain
The reduction affected the salaries of all the many Shaikhs of the house of
Al Subah, including that of many ladies of high birth, and went right down the
scale of officials so as to include guards, mercenaries and private servants
The Ruler told the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. that he had been compelled to adopt these economy
measures much against his will because of the grave condition of the finances of
the State which had laterly been nearing danger point.
(/’) Locusts .—The first flight of these pests passed over Kuwait on 24th Feb
ruary. It moved in a north-westerly direction and took 2| hours to pass over the
Town. - x
An official of His Majesty King Bin Saud, who arrived in Kuwait on 27th
February 1932 reported that he had seen large flights of locusts in Qasim and
ooulh riassa at the end of January and early in February.
His Majesty King Bin Saud personally told the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. that Hoffuf had had
a bad visitation m January. It was anticipated that March would see the insect
plague on the borders of Kuwait and Iraq. Fortunately for the State this did
uot iiappca and tlio dioad invasions of th.6 tlir66 previous vears were not re-
peated.
Mr. LVai ov, Locust Expert to the British Museum visited Kuwait on 23rd
May and collected data regarding locust visitations and their lines of approach
from south-west Arabia up through Nejd. Curiously enough he prophesied that
Jvuvait \\ould see no locusts in 1932 as all evidence went to prove that they
appeared in cycles of 3 years at a time. His prophesy came true.
1 ooo ^ Topographical Survey of Kuwait state .—During the late Autumn of
. o_ and after some delays the long expected ground survey of Kuwait com
menced under the auspices of Captain Papworth, R.E., attached to Headquarters,
Ro^al Air Force. Baghdad. Work was pushed on vigorously till bv the end of
the year the northern third of the State was mapped. It was anticipated that
7 q 0 oq >>eutral Zone w °uld commence bv the end of January of
- i i-i -C 0 t U i f w P ermisslon of the Shaikh of Kuwait was officially obtained,
vlnie it was decided to do the same in the case of His Majesty King Bin Saud.
C n m ^ ) i et ^ t UT 'lP T o f tlie neutral zone/of the whole of Kuwait State
should be finished by the Summer of 1933.
3 000 nor* '' . jTi PR&nniage of 1932 was a success, and son
under*thp ? ca niel overland to Mecca via Buraida and Qassii
Dersons^ntnbfv 0 ^ ^ Xa8ir al ? ubah « the Shaikh’s cousin. A fe
the distineni< 5 her! ? ^ , abab a ^ ^Taqib and his women folk, members <
Riath Tb A * aiP i h n° f ^ ie ^ a 0 3 ^ s Basra, proceeded by motor car v
Holy City from’Kmvait by P ca°r d that fUtUre pilffrims could easUy reach ,f